Why I'm happy the Tigers are bringing back Gerald Laird

The news of Gerald Laird re-signing with the Detroit Tigers to be their backup catcher makes me happy.

I'm not saying Laird's the best guy for the job. (I preferred Kelly Shoppach.) I wish Detroit signed someone who could hit, though Laird is a very good defensive catcher and that's ultimately more important. 

But I've always thought Laird looked just like the kid Russell in the movie "Up," and I'm eager to see more photos that show the resemblance.

In the meantime, there's this thing that I cobbled together. 

I'll find something better next season. At least I hope I do. 

Hello again, by the way. I know it's been a long time since I posted something here. Haven't been able to shake off baseball season, it appears. I'm making a comeback, though.

Last time the Tigers were here, I missed out on the fun

I meant to write this on Friday, but got washed out by the tidal wave that has been the 2011 Major League Baseball playoffs thus far.

As I write this, the Detroit Tigers lead their American League Divisional Series two games to one over the New York Yankees. These first-round series are best-of-five, so if the Tigers win Tuesday night, they'll eliminate the Yankees and move on to the AL Championship Series.

The general sentiment among Yankees fans and media is that the Yanks are going to have a hard time winning with A.J. Burnett pitching for them. Burnett was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA, which was good enough for Yankees manager Joe Girardi to initially keep him out of the starting rotation for this series. Friday night's rainout changed those plans, and here the Yankees are, having to pitch the guy they didn't want to pitch in a game they have to win.

I'm naturally a pessimist, so I'm worried that Burnett is somehow going to pitch a great game tonight. Even though I should know better, having written this post back in September about how awful Burnett has been.

Though I've been confident — probably too confident — in the Tigers' chances of success this postseason, I'm pretty nervous about tonight. Maybe that's just the normal sports fan impulse. But I'm typically dubious when everything looks like it's falling into place for "my" team. How often does it end up unfolding that way?

But if the Tigers do win on Tuesday, I intend to soak up every moment of it that I can.

It won't be quite the same, since I no longer live in metro Detroit. I won't get to watch the local TV coverage afterwards, I won't see the newspapers the next morning. (Yes, I can read them online, but holding an actual newspaper with the celebratory headlines always makes it more real.) I won't get caught up with casual fans at a bar, coffee shop, grocery store, or someplace else where we're sharing the community experience of a local sports team winning. That might be the best thing about being a sports fan.

But the last time the Tigers were in this position and came through, I didn't get to see it. And I've always felt some regret for that.

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When the Tigers beat the Yankees in the 2006 ALDS, I was in Hawaii, on vacation with my family. The trip had been planned months in advance, long before we had any idea that the Tigers would be in the playoffs. (Well, I may have had an inkling or hope, but what do you say to that? "Can we postpone that trip — the one you had to ask time off for at the very beginning of the year — so that I can watch some baseball?")

I didn't get to see many games, largely because of the six-hour time difference in Hawaii. The games were being played during prime daytime sightseeing and beach-lounging hours. But I was able to listen to radio broadcasts on my cell phone. (But it was a pretty cool cell phone, one that Sprint had asked some sports bloggers to test market.)

So while metro Detroit was celebrating a playoff victory over the vaunted Yankees, while fans at Comerica Park were getting sprayed by champagne as the players took their locker room celebration onto the field in what was one of the most special moments in Detroit sports in at least the past decade, I was waiting for a bus that would take us on a sightseeing tour of Oahu.

Yeah, I know — Boo fuckin' hoo, you were in Hawaii. Sounds miserable. No, of course it wasn't. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had and the last family trip we took before my sister got married.

But whenever I see pictures or footage of Joel Zumaya spraying champagne on fans and embracing them in massive group hugs, I wish I'd have experienced some of that. (I also came very close to missing Magglio Ordonez's ALCS-winning home run against the Oakland A's, as that's the day we returned. We're talking a matter of seconds. But I might save that story for another post.)

I'm just tremendously grateful that the Tigers might give me another chance to celebrate a win over the Yankees.

The desktop power of Papa Grande

I'm one of those people who likes to change his desktop image every so often, just to provide something different to look at. I've been getting antsy to make a change over the past month, but just can't bear to do it right now.

Here's my current desktop image:

I can't remember exactly when I put Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Valverde on my desktop, but I think it was in early August when the team was playing in Kansas City.

Objective baseball blogger? Hey, we're all fans of one team or another.

The key thing is that the Tigers have been close to unstoppable since Papa Grande's smilin' face and dancin' body has graced my computer screen.

I'm certainly not going to change that image now. And I hope it stays up there for another few weeks. How about until November? I may never take it off after that.

Alex Avila makes sparks fly

I'm sure plenty of baseball fans have read Ted Williams talk about smelling the wood of his bat burning on a foul ball. He said it happened five or six times during his career, fouling a ball off against a hard-throwing pitcher, and smelling smoke after contact was made.

But has anyone ever seen a foul ball cause sparks on a catcher's mask upon contact? Alex Avila got some fireworks in his face during the Tigers' game with the White Sox Tuesday night.

It's electrifyin'!

Avila's taken a beating behind the plate this season (which makes his amazing season even more impressive), taking foul balls off most every part of his body. The ones to the face have been especially scary, though. Even with the mask and helmet on, those have to feel like hard punches.

I missed this when it happened. I conked out early, after the second inning. Serves me right, I suppose.

Reading stack: Tuesday's links

• I probably shouldn't admit this, but I have a mancrush on Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila. I even have an Avila shirsey, which I proudly wear to the gym with absolutely no fanfare. (Asheville is Atlanta Braves country. And a little bit of Cincinnati Reds territory, too.)

I've held that torch since he was called up from the minors in 2009 and hit five home runs in 29 games. Two seasons later, Avila has developed into one of the best catchers in baseball. This year, no one's been better.

As I said on the Knee Jerks podcast last night, I think he's the Tigers' most valuable player. That's not an exclusive opinion, by any means. ESPN's Steve Berthiaume is the latest to show Avila some love. [Sweet Spot]

• I'm something of a clean freak. I like to keep a tidy household. And often, I probably get downright anal about it. But alphabetizing your alphabet soup is taking things way too far. Besides, I'd get too hungry to finish off such a project. [Krulwich Wonders]

• The flagship Borders bookstore in downtown Ann Arbor closed for good on Monday. Here's another great eulogy for Borders, which is really a eulogy for bookstores, as well. For longtime Ann Arbor residents and followers of the book chain, the history of the company laid out in this article is already well-known. But there's a nice personal touch here, with quotes from several former employees, including one who's something of a legendary figure at the original store. [CNN.com]

• For me, Moneyball is one of the most anticipated movies of the fall. I'm sure many baseball fans and movie buffs feel the same way. I'm curious how much of a mainstream audience Brad Pitt will attract. (I'm guessing a sizable one.) It'll be interesting to see how film critics and baseball writers each view the film. Red Sox beat reporter Scott Lauber posted his take. [Boston Herald]

• And here's a film critic's perspective, courtesy of HitFix's Drew McWeeny. If most critics and filmgoers feel the same way he did, this thing might be a hit. [Motion Captured]

• Note to authors, prospective or otherwise, out there. Even if your book is lucky enough to see print, you might want to make sure the e-book edition gets a proper edit. Or you might miss a typo like the one in this romance novel, which would likely drastically change your visualization of the scene. Or maybe you're into this kind of thing. (Thanks, A!) [The Guardian]

Just a Piece of Paper Now

Unfortunately, I won't have any use for this ticket today.

I guess this is a collector's item now?  Sort of?  I missed out on most of the Tigers' playoff run in 2006, so this would've been fun.  Staying home to watch football and catch up on Mad Men will have to fill the void instead.

It's Time to Honor Sparky, Detroit Tigers

From today's post at Bless You Boys:

Retire his uniform.  Put his name on the outfield wall at Comerica Park.  He's an integral part of Tigers history.  Every fan who walks into Comerica Park should see Sparky's name and reminisce about his time in Detroit and the teams he managed here.  Or, if someone isn't familiar with him, that person can turn to their companion at the ballgame, ask about Sparky, and learn.

It's long past time for the Detroit Tigers to pay tribute to Sparky Anderson.  He'll be at Comerica Park tonight, as part of the fesitivities to honor the 1984 World Series Championship team.  So while he's there, why not do what should've been done years ago?

Ernie Harwell's Gracious Night in Detroit

I've read several blogs today that felt the need to write about themselves when writing about Ernie Harwell and the tribute that was paid to him last night by the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. 

Initially, I was ready to join in by writing about my last-minute decision to attend the game, my hesitancy to go because just thinking about Ernie makes me so melancholy, and how I'm glad I had virtually an entire row to myself in right field because I started crying the moment he walked out of the tunnel.

But considering Ernie didn't talk about himself during a speech in which he certainly would've been entitled to do so, it just feels wrong to write about anything but Ernie.  (Maybe I've already violated that premise.)  The night belonged to him.  The ballgame almost seemed meaningless before he spoke to the crowd in the third inning.  Because that's presumably why most of us were there.

Ernie had all of us the moment he walked onto that field.  And it didn't matter what was said so much as what was felt.  The warmth and adoration expressed towards Ernie, and his gratitude and appreciation for the fans. 

It was a reminder to Tigers fans and the city of Detroit that no matter how much of a roller coaster this 2009 season has been, and no matter how rough times are in this area, that we have been extremely fortunate to share a part of our lives with him. No matter what happens, we can get through it all with grace, warmth and dignity.

And he thanked us?  No, no, no.

Thank you, sir.